eMOLT Update 2024-08-09

Weekly Recap

This week, the eMOLT fleet recorded 75 tows of sensorized fishing gear totaling 912 sensor hours underwater. The warmest recorded bottom temperature was 70.1 in Nantucket Sound in approximately 8 fathoms and the coldest recorded bottom temperature was 43.1 on the eastern edge of Stellwagen Bank in approximately 40 fathoms. Below, you can see a few temperature profiles of interest across the region from the last week. Surface waters are unsurprisingly coolest in Eastern Maine (orange and gold) where there is no stratification and warmest along the shelf break (black and blue). Bottom waters remain cold north of Cape Cod (teal and pink) and off Southern Maine (green).

profiles from this week

We continued upgrading deckboxes to the new “Green Boat” software this week, with the F/Vs Lisa Marie, Adventure, Virginia Marie, and Mary Elizabeth coming online with the new software. We’re also planning to get on board the F/V Tom Slaughter to replace their sensor and deckbox in the very near future.

Save the Date

We have officially booked The Westin Portland Harborview for the 2025 Northeast Cooperative Research Summit, which will be held on January 28th, 2025! Please mark your calendars. More information including registration and lodging info and a schedule of topics will be coming soon. We look forward to seeing you there!

System Hardware Upgrade List

The following vessels remain on our list for hardware upgrades. If you aren’t on the list and think you should be, please reach out. Note that this list is different from our new install queue.

  • F/V Brooke C *
  • F/V Excalibur
  • F/V Kaitlyn Victoria
  • F/V Kyler C
  • F/V Linda Marie
  • F/V Nathaniel Lee *
  • F/V Noella C
  • F/V Sao Paulo
  • F/V Sea Watcher I
  • F/V Tom Slaughter
  • F/V Virginia Marise

Dissolved Oxygen in Cape Cod Bay

Courtesy of the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and the Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association

So far so good this season, with all sensors reporting oxygen values in the “normal” range over the last week.

CCB Screenshot

Bottom Temperature Forecasts

Doppio

eMOLT observations were slightly warmer than predicted along the Maine Coast north and east of Casco Bay. Observations were much warmer than predicted along the shelf break and slightly cooler than predicted north and east of Cape Cod.

Doppio performance

Doppio Forecast

Northeast Coastal Ocean Forecast System

NECOFS plot

Mass Bay plot

Announcements

  • The Woods Hole Science Stroll is taking place on August 10, 2024 in Woods Hole, MA from 10 am to 3 pm. Many of the labs in Woods Hole will have hands on science exhibits and several research vessels will be open for tours. The event is free and family friendly; you can learn more here.

All the best,

-George and JiM